I finally got a chance to take some decent pictures of my 2011 Camaro 2SS Convertible (V8 6.2L Auto) after modifications. In the future, I plan to do more interior modifications (mostly electronics). Below is a list of the modifications so far:

* The restoration body shop removed the AM antenna from the previous spoiler, so the AM radio doesn't work anymore. I am still working on a solution. I will address this is I install any mobile audio/video upgrades.

Some of the items were purchased from PhastekPerformance.com. GMPartsDirect.com has the best pricing for factory Camaro parts. I also purchased the Pedders coilovers from JDP Motorsports.

Below are the factory Pirelli PZero tires and Camaro SS wheel statistics before new coilovers and new wheels were installed:

Jordan at JDPMotorsports.comJason at Phastek PerformanceSteve at NoWeeds.net (exhaust diverter)Terry at SparksRestorations.comGene Tjin at Wheel Warehouse (714-772-1281)Ross at Tirerack.com (888-541-1777 Ext 796)Athena at BrakePerformance.comRaymond at Coverking.com

Even though I didn't buy wheels from him, I would also like to thank Tony Whatley (Nine Ball) for answering all of my emails and phone calls about wheels and tires! Tony was a very helpful and patient resource!

MY PERSONAL NOTES:

I am very pleased with the feel of the Yokohama tires. Even though there are 30 settings for each corner, I wish the Pedders coilovers gave me a better ride (like stock). With such a low profile (sidewall), you feel every bump. I just hope the tires perform well in the winter when it snows - and they last for 30-40K miles! I also highly recommend 22" wheels versus the 20" stock wheels. They look so much better, especially if you install a ground effects kit. In a way, the 20s almost looked too small. These Giovanna Meccas look like they are a 2 or 3-piece wheel, but are made of one-piece cast aluminum; and the entire set of these wheels and tires were less than 8 lbs more than the factory wheels and tires.

When lowering your Camaro, be careful with your ground effects kit. My rear diffuser got damaged three times due to dips in entrance approaches! I tried to convince Razzi to redesign their rear diffuser, but they refused. With the ground effects and nicely painted wheels, ALWAYS be careful when parking! My next plan is to get front and rear cameras installed!

I get a lot of compliments on my Camaro. Many of the admirers also comment on how cool the NoWeeds Exhaust Diverter sounds! These cut-out pipes are a must-have for your Camaro! The neat thing about this system is that it has three switch settings (ON, OFF and a custom setting, which is set halfway open on my pipes). If you're driving in your neighborhood and you don't want to upset neighbors, you can leave the switch in the OFF position so its stock quiet. Borla is another very good exhaust system that Id highly recommend, but its much more expensive than NoWeeds and it's always in the open position. To my knowledge, new pipes run all the way out to the rear for Borla systems; whereas the NoWeeds system utilizes the stock Camaro pipes. There are many other exhaust systems available, but at the time of this writing, I am not aware of any other exhaust diverter system like NoWeeds.

SERVICE ISSUES / WORK:

The 5th bow on my convertible top was replaced on 5/4/2012.

I went to my local CHEVROLET dealer four times over a period of a year to ask them to find out where a squeaking noise was coming from on my 2011 CAMARO 2SS. It was very annoying to say the least! I had always thought the squeak was coming from the convertible top, but apparently that was not the case. It sounded like it was coming from the right rear side. After three visits, they were convinced that it was caused by my adjustable coilovers, not the top. I didn't believe this to be true. The squeaking noise was finally discovered on 7/29/13 after a mechanic said it was caused by a missing bolt on the lower RR control arm! I am wondering if this happened at the factory?

The convertible top was not closing properly, so it was back in the shop (Weber Chevrolet, St. Louis MO) on 4/9/2014. The rubber seal around the top was also more visible than before. The 5th bow on the top had to be replaced again, but I wasn't completely satisfied because the seal around the top just didn't look the same as when it was new.

No other service issues found so far except that the NoWeeds Exhaust Diverter needs to be tacked down again.

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. All of my vendors made it happen, including Jordan, Gene, Steve, Jason, Terry, Athena, Ross, Ray and Tony...and everyone else who I left off this list. Hopefully, I'll be able to add more interior mods next year!

Another tip that I want to give everyone is to purchase some ramps if you need to work on your car, especially if you have a ground effects kits. Jordan from JDP recommended RaceRamps.com. Their ramps are expensive, but they're great and they work very well for my application! I was able to change the dampers on my rear coilovers.

Love the car! Did you have to install wheel spacers to fit the Giovanna Mecca's? There is conflicting info on the C5 forum about these wheels because of the concave design.

No wheel spacers were needed. Wheel Warehouse verified with Giovanna first before I bought them to make sure the offset would work, and it did just fine. The space between the Brembo calipers and spokes on the front wheel was very close, but it cleared.

Thanks, Ivan! It took a lot of detailed planning, and I started planning it even before I bought the car back in January. I also got lucky finding this brand new Camaro which sat on a dealer's lot for 9 months, two states away, before I bought it.